Training Camp?
by The Yuri Fanboy
Summary: K-ON Yuri, Mio x Ritsu, A few years ago, Mio realized she had feelings for her best friend, Ritsu. Since then, she wasn't able to tell her how she feels. Now Mugi has announced a training camp, and Mio decides she will confess to Ritsu no matter what. Mugi has grown suspicious of Mio, and she will be using the camp to try and find out the truth. Will Mio be successful?
1. Pilot

**CHAPTER 2: NOW RELEASED**

**This is a pilot chapter. You know, like pilot episode on TV? Yeah. Please tell me what you think, should I continue this story? I appreciate both positive and negative reviews. (Yes, I know this chapter is short, but it is a _pilot _chapter. I wrote it in one day. Future chapters will be longer, don't worry :3 )**

* * *

This was the best part of Mio's day; opening the clubroom doors and stepping inside, smiling and greeting her friends. But there was one person she particularly looked forward to seeing, and that person was not there.

"Where's Ritsu?" Mio asked her friend Mugi, who was arranging teacups on the table.

"She's not here yet." The blonde replied. "Why?"

"Uh… no reason!" Mio said quickly.

"Eehh?" Mugi said slyly, thick eyebrows raised, a grin creeping onto her face.

"What?" Mio demanded, raising her voice.

"Nothing…" Mugi said, her face returning to normal. She turned and got back to work. Mio unslung her bass and propped it up against the wall. Sighing, she sat down on the couch.

How long was it going to take Ritsu to get here? Ritsu, the girl Mio had known since her early childhood. Ritsu, the girl who's been Mio's best friend for as long as she can remember. Ritsu, the girl who Mio was in love with.

Two years ago, Mio was shocked when she realized that she had feelings for Ritsu. Did she really swing that way? Did _Ritsu _even swing that way? Ever since then, she was never able to ask Ritsu about it. What if she rejected her? It could destroy their friendship!

Mio didn't want that. But she _had _to know.

"_When Ritsu gets here,_"she thought, "_I'll ask to speak with her in private. Then when we're alone (without Mugi), I'll ask and hope for the best._"

She had attempted to ask Ritsu countless times before, but she had abandoned her plan at the last second every time. But not this time. Mio was determined to see it through to the end, even if it meant rejection.

All five members of the Light Music Club sat at the table, drinking tea and talking. It was already noon, and Mio still hadn't gotten a chance to speak with Ritsu. Suddenly, Mugi stood, up clapped her hands together, and said,

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make." The four other girls sitting at the table eagerly awaited what she was going to say. "I have a training camp planned. Are you all available tomorrow?"

The room fell silent. Azusa was the first to speak up. "Yeah, I'm available tomorrow."

"So am I!" Yui said cheerfully. Mio and Ritsu followed suit.

"It's settled then," Mugi continued, "We'll meet at the train station at 10 o'clock tomorrow." Just as she said that, the bells rang.

"Time for class, I'll see you all tomorrow!" Ritsu said. She rushed out the door before anyone could say anything. Mio sighed. The training camp was tomorrow, and she definitely won't get a chance to be alone with Ritsu there. And even if she did, Mugi would probably notice something. It was like she had some sixth sense that allowed her to detect any hidden- or potential- relationships.

"_Every time I see Ritsu my heart speeds up, my breathing intensifies, and it's hard to think straight" _Mio thought. "_Whenever I'm near her, I just want to hug her, hold her close, stroke her hair and-"_

"Miiooo..." a soft voice said. Mio opened her eyes to see Mugi standing in front of her.

"Mio, were you spacing out again?" she asked.

"Yeah, I guess…" Mio responded.

"You've been doing that a lot lately, haven't you?" Mugi continued. "Any idea why?"

"No." Mio said. She got up, slung her bass around her shoulder and said, "Well, I'll be going now. See you tomorrow." She left, letting the door close behind her.

Mugi already had an idea of why Mio kept spacing out, why she always got so nervous around Ritsu. She smiled to herself.

_I just need to prove my theory, and this training camp is the perfect opportunity._

* * *

E-mail me, and get added to the mailing list: **theyurifanboy...AT...gmx _ com**

Other ways to contact me: **bit_dot_ly/ContactTheYuriFanboy **(case sensitive)


	2. Arrival

**This is my first time writing anything romance related, so please keep that in mind while reading. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Azu-nyan! Good morning!" Yui greeted her friend, pulling her into one of her deadly, unescapable hugs.

"Jeez, Yui-senpai, you're always so clingy!" Azusa complained. She had long since stopped trying to resist Yui's strange ways of being friendly. In fact, she enjoyed it. During every one of these short moments, she felt like she was the happiest person in the world.

They were at the train station, and Ritsu had yet to show up. Mio sat quietly on a bench, listening to music. She was in a bad mood, like she always was when Ritsu wasn't around.

"What time is it?" Azusa asked.

"10:16." Mugi replied, checking her watch. "Our train arrives in fourteen minutes. Ritsu had better hurry up!"

* * *

Fourteen minutes later, the train was pulling into the station, and Ritsu still wasn't there. Mio was getting worried.

"_What if she doesn't show up in time? My plan would be ruined!" _she thought to herself. Mugi was thinking the same thing. Slowly, the doors on the train opened, and the four girls got on. Mugi, Yui and Azusa went to find seats while Mio lingered by the open doors, but she too turned and followed her friends.

Mio heard the captain say something over the P.A. system, but she didn't care. By now, she'd lost all hope of Ritsu making it in time. The doors started to close. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice scream, "Wait up! Waaaait!" Looking out the window, Mio saw her short, brunette friend sprinting at full speed toward the rapidly closing doors.

She jumped in an overly dramatic fashion and just barely squeezed through the doors. She approached the girls. Panting, she plopped down into the empty seat next to Mio.

"Phew, that was close!" she exclaimed. "Sorry, I slept in." she grinned embarrassedly. She looked over at her best friend, wondering why she didn't scold her like she usually did.

"Uh…Mio?" she asked, waving her hand in front of Mio, who had an expression of pure joy on her face.

"Uh, guys? What's wrong with Mio?" Ritsu asked the others, snapping her fingers in front of Mio's face.

"I think she's just relieved to see you made it." Yui said.

"Come on Mio, you're scaring me." Ritsu continued, as she started poking Mio's face. "Miiiooo, come on, wake up!"

Suddenly, Mio's eyes opened. Realizing what was going on, her face turned bright red. Ritsu giggled as Mio buried her face in her hands.

"Well, I see Mio's the same as ever, getting embarrassed by the smallest things!" she exclaimed, laughing some more. Mugi joined in from across the aisle.

"_Getting embarrassed by being so glad to see Ritsu…suspicious," _Mugi thought. "_But this is _Mio _we're talking about. She gets embarrassed by everything! Not a problem, I'll have plenty of other opportunities to test her."_

Mio yawned. She hardly got any sleep last night, and now was a good opportunity to get some rest. She closed her eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.

* * *

Mio was woken by a weight pushing down on her right shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked around, wondering what it could be. As she looked to her right, her heart skipped a beat. Ritsu, who had fallen asleep, was using Mio's shoulder as a pillow.

"_She's so cuuute!_" Mio thought. "_And she's using _my _shoulder to rest her head on!_" Then, Mio had an idea. She didn't care what the others though, this was simply too good of an opportunity to pass on. She leaned to the right and rested her head on top of Ritsu's. Gradually, her breathing slowed and became rhythmic, just like Ritsu's. She felt warm and fuzzy inside.

"_This is how lovers sleep on the train, isn't it?_" she thought to herself. "_If only we were also…_" she didn't finish the thought, because she had already fallen asleep.

* * *

"Kawaii! (So cute!)" Yui squealed.

"Agreed." Azusa said. Mugi said nothing. Mio yawned. Opening her eyes, she looked up to see the three girls leaning over her and Ritsu.

"_Wait, they saw the position we were in?_" she thought to herself. Quickly, she sat up straight, her face consumed by a wild blush.

"Jeez, you two…" Azusa said playfully. Mio's blush intensified. Ritsu stirred. Stretching in her seat, she yawned loudly.

"That was the best sleep I've had in a while!" she exclaimed. Mio smiled. She was glad that her shoulder was a good replacement for a pillow.

Ritsu smiled as well. Sleeping on Mio's shoulder, it was nice. She enjoyed it.

"Well, the train already stopped a while ago." Mugi said. "We just didn't want to disturb you guys, since you looked to happy." Yui nodded in agreement.

"So, we'll head to the bus station", Mugi continued. "The bus will drop us off near the beach house."

The five girls grabbed their luggage and exited the train.

* * *

After an excruciatingly long wait, an even longer bus ride and about fifteen minutes of walking, the Light Music Club finally arrived at the beach house.

"Wow." said Yui. Ritsu whistled.

"It's even bigger than last time!" she exclaimed. All of the girls looked at Mugi, expecting an explanation.

"I asked for a small one, but they never listen to me…" Mugi said.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Yui asked. "Let's go inside!" The girls nodded in agreement.

On the inside, the house had a simple Japanese style decoration. There was a low table in the middle of the room, with five seating cushions. To the left, there was a kitchen area with a refrigerator, oven, stove, and sink. At the far end of the room, there were sliding doors leading outside. To the right, there was a long hallway with multiple doors on the sides, and one large set of doors at the end.

"The bedrooms, bathroom and music room is down there" Mugi said, pointing at the hallway. "Make yourselves at home. Oh, and since there are only two beds, we should probably decide who sleeps in which room." she continued. "Since you are all my guests, I'll sleep out here on a futon." She pointed at one of the doors down the hallway. "Who wants to sleep in there?" she asked.

"Us!" Yui said, clinging on to Azusa. Mugi nodded.

"All right, that seems good. So that means Mio and Ritsu will sleep in the other room. That good?" she asked.

Mio didn't move a muscle.

"_Is this a blessing?_" Mio wondered, "_Or is it a curse? I mean, I'll get to sleep in the same bed as the cutest girl in existence! But at the same time, I won't be able to _do _anything, since it would freak Ritsu out and Mugi's _already_ suspicious of my feelings. The temptation and pressure will drive me crazy!_"

"_There's nothing wrong with two best friends sleeping together, so if one of them refuses, it's probably because they're embarrassed, and that's probably because they have feelings for their friend, which, in my case, is completely true. Therefore, denying the offer is going to make Mugi more suspicious. I'll have to fight through the embarrassment and temptation, but I'm confident that I can do it._"

"No, I don't have a problem with that." Mio told Mugi.

"Me neither!" Ritsu added.

"_Either I was wrong about Mio, or she's just being smart about how she acts. At this point in time, the latter seems more probable._" Mugi thought.

"It's settled then." Mugi looked at her watch. "It's getting pretty late, so I suggest we get ready for bed."

The girls took turns using the bathroom for showering and changing into their pajamas. First went Yui, who, not surprisingly, took only five minutes. After her went Ritsu, Mugi, and then Azusa. Mio went last, since she usually took the longest.

While she showered, Mio was making a plan in her head.

_Mio's Foolproof Won't-Do-Anything-Weird-While-Sleeping-In-The-Same-Bed-As-Ritsu Plan:_

_Lay down on the opposite side of the bed from her, keeping appropriate, but not _too_ much distance. _

_Sleep with your back to her, making sure you can't see her, so you don't get tempted by how cute she is._

_Try to fall asleep without thinking about her too much._

Mio smiled. Yes, she could do it. The turned off the shower, stepped out and put on her pajamas, which consisted of black pajama shorts and a plain white T-Shirt.

As she stepped into her and Ritsu's bedroom, she was surprised to find that Ritsu was already asleep, snoring quietly.

"_I wasn't showering for _that _long…was I?_" Mio thought. She placed her dirty clothes on top of her suitcase. Lifting the covers, she got into the left side of the bed, being careful not wake Ritsu.

Turning her back to Ritsu, she closed her eyes.

"_Part 1 and 2 of my plan- successfully executed._" Mio thought to herself. With Part 3, however, she was not as successful. It took a while, but finally, she stopped listening to Ritsu's snoring, and drifted off to sleep, letting the darkness take her.

As usual, she dreamt of Ritsu.

* * *

E-mail me, and get added to the mailing list: **theyurifanboy...AT...gmx _ com**

Other ways to contact me: **bit_dot_ly/ContactTheYuriFanboy **(case sensitive)


	3. Question

**I apologize if this is a bit short, or disappointing. I mean, it's been a very long time since the last chapter, and **_**this **_**is all you get?! Honestly, I was planning on writing a lot more for this chapter, but then I realized that I should upload what I have, since it's been so long since I updated. Now that summer is almost over, don't expect to have such a long wait between chapters, but I still do have a very busy life, so keep that in mind. Don't worry, this will be the last time it takes over two months to release a chapter, even if said chapter is shorter than planned**

* * *

Mio didn't even have to open her eyes to notice that something had changed since she fell asleep. Looking to her right, she saw that Ritsu, who was still asleep, had changed her position. Her head was not on her own pillow, but instead, it was on Mio's. She had stopped snoring; her breathing was soft and rhythmic.

When Mio realized how very close Ritsu's face was, her heart sped up to the point where she thought the strength of the thumping would crack her ribcage open. That fact that Ritsu was latched onto her right arm probably also had something to do with it. If she moved her arm, it would wake up Ritsu. She didn't want to wake her up, especially since the position they were in felt so…right.

Mio decided she'd enjoy this moment for a little while longer. She smiled. Closing her eyes, she rested her head on the pillow, facing Ritsu. It took a while, but she finally drifted off.

* * *

Mio felt something cold poking her face.

"Mio, wake up, it's time for breakfast!" Ritsu said, poking her friend again. Mio groaned, rolling over.

"Fine, fine. You know, you should think of a better way to wake people up, this is really annoying." Mio complained.

"But if it's annoying, it'll wake you up better!" Ritsu explained. Mio rolled her eyes. Ritsu's different way of approaching things usually annoyed her, but it was also one of the things she really admired about Ritsu.

She sat up and stretched, yawning. She looked at Ritsu, realizing she was already dressed. Ritsu always spent a significantly long time in her pajamas in the morning, so if she was already dressed, then it must have been pretty late.

"Did I really sleep for that long?"" Mio asked.

"Well, that depends on your definition of long." Ritsu replied.

"And by your definition?"

"Pretty long. Well, you'd better get dressed; the others are waiting for you."

She turned and stepped out the door, closing it behind her.

"_She seems to be in a good mood today._" Mio thought. Ritsu was always in a good mood, but this felt different somehow. Anyways, Ritsu was waiting for her, and she didn't want to disappoint. She changed from her pajamas into her underwear, pulled on a pair of black sweat pants, a white T-Shirt, and stepped into her slippers.

As she stepped into the hallway, a wonderful scent collided with her nose. She stood still, trying to figure out what it was that the smell belonged to.

"Smells good, doesn't it?" Mugi called out from the kitchen. The sizzling of grease on a frying pan could be heard. It intensified when Mugi poked at the pan with a wooden spoon. "It's an American style breakfast," she explained. "Bacon, eggs and pancakes. It should be done in a bit."

Mio sat down on the seating cushion next to Ritsu, whose head rested on her right hand, happily tapping something with her left. Mio recognized it as the drum beat of "Fuwa Fuwa Time", one of the first songs they had played together as a band. Almost unconsciously, Mio joined in, tapping the bass rhythm. Noticing this from across the table, Yui started humming the lyrics, while Azusa tapped the guitar beat.

They were almost finished the song when Mugi placed a tray filled with food on the table, announcing that breakfast was ready. In the middle of the tray, there was a plate loaded with a large heap of sizzling bacon. Next to it, there were five individual plates each holding a sunny side up egg and two pancakes.

"Everyone, take a plate, and fill it with as much bacon as you want." Mugi said. The girls each grabbed a fork and a knife from a pile at the side of the tray, put some of said bacon on their plate, and started eating.

"Mmm!" Yui exclaimed. "Dish ish shum uhv duh besht bekon Ah'v ehvahr hed! (This is some of the best bacon I've ever had!)" she said, her mouth filled with the juicy pork.

"I agree." Mio said. "And Yui, don't speak with food in your mouth, you're covering the table with grease. It's bad manners."

"Okay…" Yui said, pouting. Mio sighed. She reached her hand across the table and patted Yui on the head.

"Don't worry about it."

Yui's face lit up, and she put some more bacon on her plate. Mio smiled. Yui was an… interesting person, to say the least.

A couple minutes later, everyone's plate was empty, and their stomach full. Clapping her hands together, Mugi stood up, as if she just remembering something.

"I just realized that we don't have anything to make lunch with. Yui, Azusa, would you mind coming to the store with me?"

Yui stood up briskly, pulling Azusa up with her.

"We'll go!" she exclaimed.

"Wait," Azusa started. "I never agreed to any-" she was cut off when Yui pulled her into a bone-crushing embrace. Mugi giggled.

"You two get along really well." She said, causing Azusa's entire face to turn red. Mugi looked at Mio and Ritsu.

"How much until the song you're writing is finished?" she asked them.

"Not very much, we're almost done." Ritsu told her.

"Okay. We'll be back in half of an hour, so try to get most of it done by then."

With that, the three turned and left, leaving Mio and Ritsu alone at the table.

"Alright Mio," Ritsu said, standing up. "Let's get to work!"

"…"

"Mio?"

"…"

"Mio, are you spacing out again?"

Indeed, Mio was spacing out, thinking about how to approach the situation.

"_This is the perfect chance for me to ask!_" she realized. She knew she wouldn't get another chance like this. Taking a deep breath, she stood up.

"Okay, let's go write that song." she said to Ritsu, starting towards the music room.

"Yeah, let's do that!" Ritsu agreed, following Mio.

* * *

They've already been at it for around twenty minutes, and Mio still hadn't built up the courage to ask Ritsu.

"_If I don't hurry up and ask her,_" Mio thought, "_the girls will be back already, and I'll have wasted the only good opportunity I'll get in a while!_"

She nodded with a determined look on her face. "_I'll just have to do it right now._"

She took a deep breath.

"Ritsu?"

"Hm?

"Have you ever…well, have you ever thought about, uh, well," Mio started asking in an embarrassed voice, her blush getting redder and redder by the second. "About, you know, being gay?"

The scratching of Ritsu's pencil stopped, and the two fell into an awkward silence. Ritsu lifted her head, looking at her raven haired friend with a surprised expression on her face.

Mio sat straight, looking at the floor, both arms extended with her hands on her knees. Her blush was so intense that it felt like her face would start burning at any moment.

Ritsu sat there for a while, deep in thought. Finally, she said,

"The thought's occurred a few times, but it wasn't ever anything serious."

Mio was confused. Did this mean that if she confessed, she had a chance? Or would she get rejected?

"Why'd you ask?" Ritsu questioned. Mio had forgotten that Ritsu was likely to ask this question, and therefore had not prepared an answer.

"Uhhmm… No reason in particular."

She didn't expect Ritsu to believe that, but to her surprise, there was no response from her. They returned to writing the song. It was noticeably more awkward than it was before.

After a couple minutes, Mugi, Yui and Azusa stepped into the room.

"We're back!" they announced.

"Have you finished writing the song?" Mugi asked. Ritsu nodded.

"Well then, we'd better start practicing!" she said. The _HTT_ all got into position. Mio gave Yui the lyrics, while Ritsu handed out sheet music to everyone. She sat down in front of her drums. Tapping her drumsticks together, she said,

"Three,  
Two,  
One!"


	4. Beach

**Well, here it is, the fourth chapter you've all been waiting for. This chapter contains a very, very, VERY minimal amount of fanservice. Well, what did you expect? They're at the beach -.-  
Anyways, enjoy. -The Author**

Ritsu wiped a small bead of sweat from her forehead.

"It's really hot, and we've been practicing for _hours_! Can't we take a break?" she complained. Actually, they've only been playing for an hour, but it _was _very hot.

"How about going down to the beach?" Mugi asked. Yui nodded, excited by the thought of getting to spend some time at the beach. Azusa didn't have any objections. Neither did Mio, who was now daydreaming about Ritsu wearing a swimsuit. _Actually, there isn't much to see in terms of… you know, but that doesn't mean she wouldn't be cute!_

The girls all split up to go get changed and head down to the beach. Mio was the last one to get there. Her heart skipped a beat when she laid her eyes on Ritsu, who was already knee deep in the water, splashing at Yui with both of her hands. She was wearing a white two piece swimsuit that accented her flat stomach, small figure, thin arms and legs. Mio's face flushed bright red. _So… very… cute!_

_What am I going to say? _She asked herself as she approached the girls. _I should probably point out that she looks good in that swimsuit… Wait, wouldn't that come off as suspicious? But if I don't acknowledge it, what sort of a message might that send?_

"Hi!" she greeted her friends, wading into the water. Yui and Ritsu stopped their splashing to greet Mio.

"I like your swimsuit, Ritsu." she complimented her friend awkwardly.

"Right back at'cha!" Ritsu replied. Mio was wearing a plain black bikini that showed off her relatively large, round breasts. Feeling self-conscious and very embarrassed, she crossed her arms across her chest. _I should've went with something less bold! But the only other real option was my school swimsuit, and, come on, who wears their school swimsuit to the beach?_

Suddenly, a shiver of icy coldness shot through Mio's body. Yui, who had snuck up on Mio while she was talking with Ritsu, had jumped onto her back and pushed her down into the water.

"Yui, get off! Now!" she screamed. After a minute of struggling, she finally managed to push Yui off her back. The salt water stung her eyes. Slowly, she turned around to face Yui. The aura she was giving off was dark, very dark indeed.

"Yui?" she asked in a calm voice. Too calm.

"Yes?"

"Have you prepared yourself?"

"For wha-"

Mio bolted after her in a hyper speed sprint, determined to catch Yui and teach her a lesson or two about surprising her like that.

Ritsu was watching, her sides hurt from the laughing, which she couldn't seem to stop doing. She had only seen Mio _this _angry a few times, and the anger was almost always directed at her. Watching from the shore, Mugi giggled. "Looks like they're having fun," she said to Azusa, who was standing beside her. "Want to go join them?"

"No, thanks." Azusa was fine with just watching Yui. Yui was always talking withher, doing things with her, and it was rare seeing her completely focused on someone else for a change. That being said, she would have enjoyed it if it was _her _that Yui pushed down into the water, _her _that got to play with Yui.

_What is this feeling? Jealousy? No, that can't be it. Why would I be jealous of Mio doing something with Ritsu? I mean, she's also friends with Yui as well… Still… _

She wished Yui would have at least complimented her new swimsuit. She bought the cutest one she could find, a black one piece swimsuit.

Azusa sighed. It was confusing to think about it, so she decided to concentrate on something else, like how nice the sun warming her skin felt. She smiled. It was a very nice day. After a couple minutes, she decided that she wanted to have some fun as well. She stepped into the water, joining her friends.

* * *

"Guys, I just had a great idea!" Mugi said. "I know a pedal boat renting place that's nearby. Would you guys be interested in renting one? Who knows, it could be fun!"

Everyone liked her idea. "Okay, so I'll go rent one right now. It's only five minutes away, I'll be back soon" Mugi told everyone. She waded out onto the shore, pulled a tank top over her bikini, donned her straw hat, went inside the house to retrieve some money, and left.

The group chattered excitedly, eagerly awaiting her return.

* * *

"Hey, look!" someone exclaimed, pointing at the water behind them. "It's Mugi!"

Mugi was tired. Pedaling a pedal boat alone was very tiring. By the time she got to where the rest of the girls were, her face was red, and she was sweating.

"Since there's only one of me, I was only able to get one pedal boat." She explained. "I hope no one has a problem with taking turns, two at a time?"

_Why not take someone else with her, so they could get more boats?_ You might ask. Well, making the girls group up was part of Mugi's plan. After all, Yui would definitely go with Azusa, leaving Mio with Ritsu.

Mugi's prediction was correct. When they split up into groups, Mio and Ritsu were in the first, Yui and Azusa in the second. Mugi said she'd stay and make dinner for everyone.

Mugi stood up and jumped into the water. "All right, first group, get in the boat." She told them when she emerged. Ritsu grabbed the side of the boat and pulled herself up. She turned, got on her knees, and extended her open hand towards Mio.

Mio just stared. She was fantasizing about being on the boat with Ritsu. Ritsu cleared her throat, knocking Mio out of her trance. _Wait, is that hand… for me? _

"Mio, are you just gonna sit there, or let me help you into the boat?" Ritsu asked impatiently. Mio could feel her cheeks getting warmer and warmer. _Holding hands with Ritsu? In front of everyone? Well, she _is _only helping me onto the boat…but still!_

Mio grabbed Ritsu's hand, whose skin felt very soft and very warm against hers. Mio was in heaven right now. Sadly, that heaven only lasted for a few seconds, as Ritsu had already pulled her into the boat. Mio was still gripping Ritsu's hand. She wished that this moment to last a little longer, but she knew she had to let go. And she did. And it was one of the hardest things she'd done all day.

* * *

Mio knew this was her chance. She was finally alone with Ritsu. The answer she had received before wasn't very clear, but this time, she wouldn't take chances. She was going to straight up confess to Ritsu, and get a proper answer. She couldn't go on like _this_, with all of this tension. Even if it meant rejection, she had to confess.

"Ritsu?"

"Hm?"

"I… I have… something to… to say to you." Mio stuttered. "Something important."

Ritsu stopped moving her feet on the pedals, and the quiet churning of the water came to a halt. Mio's face was bright red all over and felt like it was hotter than the surface if the sun. She couldn't get herself to look Ritsu in the eyes. The soft ocean breeze blew across them, waving Ritsu's short hair around.

_God, she's so adorable…_ _No! Think about that later. I have to do this._

_Thump. Thump. _Mio could hear her own heart beating.

"Ritsu, this… this is something that I've wanted to say… for a while now…" Mio said, so embarrassed she was unable to properly form the words with her mouth.

_Thump. Thump. _

"It's just that, uh…"

_Thump. Thump._

"Ritsu, I…"

_Thump. Thump. _

"I've always…"

_Thump. Thump._

"L-l-l-l-l-l-l-l…." this last word was proving to be quite a challenge for Mio. She just couldn't get herself to say it. _No, I _have _to do it. No turning back now. _

_Thump. Thump._

Mio took a very deep breath. Carefully pronouncing the words, she finished the sentence.

"Ritsu, I've always loved you."

**Cliffhanger confession? Yes, I know that I am evil. Fufufufu~  
This chapter turned out shorter than expected, but I just thought that this would be a good place to end the chapter. Expect to read the next chapter soon! Well, not **_**too**_** soon. Authors have lives, too :)**


	5. Water

**Yeah, Chapter 5 is here, finally. Sorry for the long wait, folks. Also, sorry if it seems really short. Truth is, I originally planned for one really long Chapter 5 that was a conclusion to the story. But that's boring, less cliffhangers. So I've decided to chop it up into multiple chapters. **

* * *

_**IMPORTANT WARNING:**_** The following chapter contains quite a bit of coarse language (it's rated T, after all). (b***h, f**k and s**t). Makes sense, it's from Ritsu's perspective, and I imagine her as someone who's coarse, less refined, and therefore has no problem with cursing. Anyways, please do enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

_Thump. Thump._

"Ritsu, I've always loved you."

_Thump. Thump. _

Silence.

_Thump. Thump._

_... _Eh?

Normally, Mio was the emotional, sensitive one, and Ritsu was always cool, and generally didn't care about the mushy gushy kinds of stuff. Mio would get embarrassed by almost everything that happened, and Ritsu was the opposite. But the moment Mio had uttered those words, they both knew things definitely wouldn't be "normal" again for a while... or at all.

Ritsu's face was burning, her intensifying blush getting hotter by the second, her heart was beating so hard she could hear the blood rushing through her eardrums.

_Da Dum, Da Dum._

She tried calming herself down, looking at the situation objectively.

_Da Dum. Da Dum._

No, _objectively_ wasn't going to happen, but perhaps _logically_? Logic wasn't really her thing, but she could try.

Da Dum, Da Dum.

Ritsu studied the expression on Mio's face. Her cheeks were flushed bright red. In fact, her entire face was red. No, it was even redder than red. Anything _this _red should get its own color. Mio was slowly swaying left and right, fidgeting with her hands. Her large, gray irises were darting all over the place, looking at everything, minus Ritsu. She could see the sun's light reflecting off of her eyes. She looked like she was about to tear up. Actually, she wasalreadytearing up. This was probably the most embarrassed state she'd ever seen Mio in.

One time, about a year ago, Ritsu accidentally walked in on Mio while she was singing in the shower. Ritsu had thought it wasn't actually physically possible to get more embarrassed than Mio was back then. Turns out, it was possible. Science is a bitch, eh?

Perhaps Mio said that as a prank? To get back at Ritsu for all the shit she's pulled over the past few years?

No, Mio definitely didn't look like someone that was enjoying the victory of a great prank, so that was out of the question.

The last option was becoming increasingly obvious.

Wait, was she serious when she said that? If it wasn't a prank, and there wasn't any other reason for her to say that, so it must have been... _an actual confession?!_

This was the first time anyone had ever confessed to Ritsu. She was quite tomboyish, and most of the boys usually treated her like she was one of them whenever they played together. Hell, when she was smaller, one of her playground friends _genuinely_ thought she was dude until one day when she had to wear a skirt because she didn't have any clean pants.

So _what _if she thought soccer or rock music was cooler than makeup, or Justin Bieber, or that band with _five_ Justin Biebers. Way she saw it, her life was a _lot _cooler than those typical popular girls at her school, with the only downside being that she couldn't get any guys. So, deep down, she was really happy that someone saw her as a _girl_, as a romantic interest.

But was she happy that the person confessing their feelings to her wasn't a boy, but another _girl_, who also happened to be her best friend? No, she wasn't very happy about that.

This entire train of thought lasted only a few seconds.

Saying that Ritsu was shocked would be a major understatement. She did _not _see that coming _at all_.

She knew she had to provide answer. She didn't want to. She didn't know what to say, she was so confused. Instinctively, she started taking steps backwards, as if somehow getting away from Mio would solve her problems, and that everything would go back to normal. Whatever the hell that was.

As Ritsu's thoughts raced on, she seemed to forget that they were standing on a boat that was floating on water. She also seemed to forget that she herself was _not _a boat, and that, unlike a boat, she did not float on water.

She took another step backwards. The wet plastic surface of the boat, after having been exposed to the sunlight's embrace for so long felt warm against her feet. She took another step. Mio opened her mouth, started saying something. Ritsu took another step.

She felt the warmth underneath her foot. Then she didn't. Starting to fall backwards, she realized what was happening, tried to catch her balance, but it was too late.

A sudden rush of icy coldness ran through her body as her back made contact with the water. The rest of her body followed, and soon she was completely engulfed by the waves. The ocean was hungry, and its next meal was right on its doorstep. Ritsu couldn't move her body. She tried to, but it was like she didn't have control of her limbs. The only thing on her mind was Mio's confession, and she couldn't seem to recall her knowledge of swimming, or even staying afloat in the water.

It was as like there was an anchor tied to her leg, pulling her down. The sea was swallowing her whole, and there was nothing she could do about it. She felt like she was trapped in a block of solid ice: she couldn't move, and it was very cold. She was sinking deeper and deeper, and the water was getting colder and colder.

She'd used up the last of her oxygen. She couldn't hold her breath any longer. She exhaled deeply, expelling the useless carbon dioxide from her lungs. She watched the large bubbles escape her mouth and float up towards the surface, which seemed so very far away. She couldn't resist the urge to take a breath, and the cold, salty water gushed into her mouth and flowed down her esophagus, filling up her lungs. The salt stung like a bitch, and she felt colder than she'd ever been before. Another shiver ran up her spine. She felt weak and helpless, like a baby bird that fell out of its nest, dropping down from the mighty tree that was its home, the ground getting closer and closer with each passing second, knowing that death was near, that the end was nigh.

Her vision started fading. She saw a dark shape appear in the water above her, contrasting against the bright sunlight. Her vision was dark and blurry, and she couldn't make out what it was. The fuck did it matter, anyways? She knew there was no escape.

Life sure was a bitch, huh? You're born, everyone's real happy. Shit goes down, and your ass is dead. Poof, gone. Some people leave their mark on the world. Some people, it's like they weren't there in the first place. Some die young, some over a hundred god damn years old, but _everyone fuckin' dies at some point_. Everyone things that maybe they're special, that maybe they're the exception, but they're as _wrong _as they are _dead_.

Oh well, what's done is done. She didn't really have any goals she wanted to accomplish, anyways. No real ambitions. Shit happens, that was her motto.

Her eyes started fluttering, she couldn't keep them open anymore. She closed her eyes as her consciousness slipped away.

* * *

**Hehe, if you thought the cliffhangers were over, YOU WERE WRONG. Anyways, I really hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please, be Good Guy Greg (or Gina) and leave a review. Critiques are also welcome. I want to improve my writing in whatever ways I need to! You can review anonymously, or register an account, doesn't matter. Please note that I _do _take the time to try and respond to most of the reviews people leave. **

**Chapter 6 will be here soon. How soon? **

**It's _too soon _to tell (aw snap)**


	6. Adrenaline

**Hey everyone! No, I'm not dead, and after six months, the sixth chapter is completed! (Don't worry, this doesn't mean it will take seven months for the next chapter…)**

**I felt bad for making you guys wait for so longer after such a cliff hanger, so I decided to write a "bonus" chapter of sorts… Anyways, enjoy, and as always, make sure to tell me your thoughts in the reviews!**

* * *

The lack of conversing voices in the room occupied by three people was not unlike that of a very empty room. The sharp rhythmic sound of the ticking wall clock contrasted the soft breathing of the petite brunette girl reclining on the soft, comfortable surface of the futon laid out on the floor. Her head resting on a pillow, she held her book out above her face, thin arms straightened.

Yui liked reading manga. Not novels, no. Novels had too many complicated words. In manga, the pictures did the talking. The book she was reading was very interesting. The art was really pretty, and the story was unpredictable.

She was getting sleepy, and she was nearing the end of the chapter. She flipped the page.

Her eyes widened, her limbs became stiff. The book slipped out of her hands and thudded on her chest, open face-down.

Mugi looked up from her salad mixing.

"What's up?" she asked. "Was there a shocking plot twist?"

Yui shook her head somberly.

"No, that's not it," she said. "I just… felt a strange calamity approaching…"

Yui was really bad at poker. Whenever they played, the expression on her face gave away what she was thinking. But now, neither Mugi nor Azusa could tell whether or not she was being serious.

An eerie silence settled upon the room.

"Just kidding!" Yui chirped cheerfully.

Her fellow band members collectively let out a relieved sigh. It turned out their friend wasn't a psychic after all.

The clock kept on ticking, and the girls kept on doing their own thing.

After a while, Mugi left for the corner store to buy salad dressing. Yui and Azusa were still reading their books; Yui her manga, and Azusa an NSFW yaoi doujinshi, its pages hidden within those of an untranslated foreign novel.

The earlier lack of conversation resurfaced.

"Hey, Azu-nyan!" she called out to her junior. "Come here, I want to tell you something!"

"Not interested." she replied.

Yui didn't give up. "Aww, come on," she whined. "You'll like it, I'm sure!"

"No."

"Please?"

Azusa sighed. There was no denying this girl what she wanted. She closed her book and set it down.

"What is it?" she asked, sitting down next to her friend. Yui sat up and beckoned for Azusa to come closer, presumably to whisper something in her ear.

Azusa's cheeks, nay, her entire face turned red after Yui was done. This was understandable, since Yui didn't put her lips to Azusa's ear… but instead, on her mouth.

It lasted for only a few seconds, before Azusa pushed her away simply from reflex. She sat beside Yui, beet red, wide eyed, and trying to calm herself down. Her head was overflowing with thoughts. Did Yui just… _kiss_ her?! Well, it's not like she didn't like it, but… _what the hell_?!

"Y-Y-Y-Y-Yui," she stuttered. "Are you _crazy_?"

Unable to look her in the eye, she threw a quick glance Yui's way. Was she… smiling?

"Well, did you like that?" asked Yui slyly.

"I most certainly did _not_!" Azusa lied. "Plus, you can't just randomly kiss people like that!"

"It wasn't random," Yui insisted. "Plus, according to your diary-"

"YOU READ MY DIARY?!" Azusa boomed, outraged.

"Yeah! It said if I-"

"IT SAID NOTHING OF THE SORT!" she screamed.

Yui was worried. She had never seen Azusa this angry. Had her instincts been wrong?

Azusa turned around briskly, crossing her arms, her frown hardly visible under her raging blush.

"Seriously, you shouldn't do things like that so suddenly…" she muttered, only audible to herself. A faint smile appeared on her face, accompanying the warmth she felt inside.

"Baka."

* * *

Ritsu was taking steps backwards, each step reducing the distance between her and the edge of the boat. Mio tried to warn her, but before she could even utter a single syllable, Ritsu, losing her balance, flipped into the water. Mio rushed to the edge of the boat, slid onto her hands and knees, only to see her friend getting smaller and smaller as she descended deeper into the bottomless blue.

"Ritsu, come back!" she cried desperately. She started panicking. Her breaths became shorter and quicker, her already rapidly beating heart sped up.

Mio didn't like depths, or heights, either. The only reason she actually agreed to get on the boat in the first place was because it was a chance to be alone with Ritsu. But right now, her best friend, the recipient of her forbidden love, was in danger, and it was all _Mio's_ fault! The guilt was like an infection spreading through her body. Each breath she drew was shorter than the previous; she could not only feel, but _hear_ her heart racing.

_Come on, Mio,_

said her inner voice of reason.

_You should rest a little. You'll feel better afterwards._

Mio didn't listen to the voice. She had a plan.

She stood still, breathing in through her nose and exhaling through her mouth. As her breathing steadied, any thought of what she was going to do next threatened to invoke another panic attack.

She needed to cast her fears aside. For Ritsu. She took a deep breath. And another. And with that, shifted her weight and dove into the water headfirst.

The icy coldness of the water ran like a shock through her body, catching her off guard. She pulled herself together and looked downwards, trying to locate her friend. She spotted her silhouette, already very far down, and sinking rapidly. If she was going to reach her before they both drowned, she was had to do it quickly.

Mio felt like everything she had ever learned about swimming was for this moment… which was unfortunate, as Mio knew close to nothing about swimming.

Progress was slow. Too slow. At this rate, she definitely wasn't going to make it.

Adrenaline surged through her veins, strengthening her pulling and kicking. Ritsu was getting deeper, but Mio was starting to catch up. Large bubbles escaped from Ritsu's mouth. They ascended gracefully, leaving Mio's field of vision. Mio knew that her lung capacity was, like Ritsu's, finite. Soon, she would exhale her life force as well; she had to hurry!

With one final, desperate pull, she lunged forward and grabbed Ritsu's leg. She did it!

Her moment of triumph ended when she looked up towards the surface.

_There's no way we can make it!_

But she had to try. For her own, and Ritsu's sake. Gripping Ritsu's leg tightly, she started kicking harder than she'd ever kicked before, adrenaline rushing through her legs. The ocean was reluctant to let them leave; it was as if an invisible weight was tied to her leg, pulling her down. Progress was slow, so very slow. Mio resisted another urge to take a breath, and she knew they didn't have much time left.

The bottom of the boat was getting bigger and bigger, the temperature of the water higher and higher. They were getting close!

A few kicks later, she was close enough to be able to grab onto the edge of the boat. She grabbed the boat, and pulled herself onto the boat, careful not to let go of Ritsu's leg.

She gasped, the sweet oxygen filling her lungs. Using the last of her strength, she pulled with all her might, pulling Ritsu onto the boat. She fell onto her back, coughing. After a few seconds, she noticed her friend was not breathing.

She quickly got up and started shaking Ritsu.

"Ritsu? Ritsu, wake up!" she cried. But Ritsu did not stir. Horrified, Mio realized that Ritsu's lungs must still be filled with water. So, she did the only thing she could think of doing.

She got down on her knees next to Ritsu, and leaned over her so that face was above Ritsu's.

_Thump, Thump._

Uh, oh. She was all too familiar with this feeling.

_Thump, Thump._

She lowered herself until Ritsu's face was mere inches away from her own.

_Thump, Thump._

_Dammit, this is for her, not for me!_

_Thump, Thump._

She gently placed her thumb on Ritsu's chin and pushed, opening her mouth.

_Thump, Thump._

She pinched Ritsu's nose.

_Thump, thump. Thump, thump. _The beating was getting faster.

No, she wasn't going to let her own desires distract her.

_Thump, thump._

She took a deep breath, filling her lungs to the brim.

_Thump, thump._

With one swift motion, she closed her eyes and pressed her lips against Ritsu's.

* * *

**Another cliffhanger, seriously? I know, and I'm sorry. Until then, hang tight ****( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

**-TheYuriFanboy**


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